More advanced discourse

In Lexi’s ever-evolving way of communicating, she’s moved on to some advanced noise-making. Several times a day for short intervals, she will “speak” a few phrases. The sounds are still gibberish baby talk, but she’s doing a good job imitating regular speech by putting some inflection and phrasing in it. Of course, we have a good time “talking” back to her in the same way, but she has yet to get the hang of the back and forth of conversation – she just sort of blurt things out as she’s inspired inwardly.

She is making one sound that arguably is a word. In fact, her favorite sound in this “speech” she is making is a “dada” word. Sometimes it’s just “dada,” while other times it’s “da-da-da.” Now Sarah and I are debating whether this can be counted as her first word or not. Of course, I think she loves her daddy so much and has quickly learned to call out for me. Sarah isn’t willing to recognize it as a real word yet. Perhaps what it actually could be is a Kiswahili (the local language in Kenya) word that Jane, our nanny/housekeeper, has taught her. We have told Jane to speak to Lexi only in Kiswahili, which she does in the many hours a day they spend together.

In all the speaking and playing Jane and LExi do together, Lexi gets revved up with excitement and still does some good screeching. Yesterday I was in the kitchen with Lexi and Jane, and Lexi was doing this, and it hurt my ears. I know it’s only the beginning of ways that she will touch a nerve.

As this “speech” evolves, Lexi is making her popping (sort of a quiet smacking) sound with her lips less often. That seemed to be an entertaining game with her. It seems to have been replaced by quick breathing through her nose, something we recall Olivia, her cousin on Sarah’s side of the family doing, a few months ago.